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The practise of herb-gardening can be traced as far back as 4000 years ago in Egypt. Herb growing was often associated with temples, which required herbs for daily worship and ritual. Queen Hatshepsut (d. 1482BC imported frankincense (Boswellia sacra) and myrrh ( Commiphora myrrha) from Arabia, and cornflowers ( Centaurea cyanus), poppies (Papaver spp), mandrakes (Mandragora spp), figs (Ficus spp), and lotuses (Nymphaea lotus) appear in many wall paintings. From as early as 305AD herb-gardening was second only to prayer in the monastic regime. Monasteries were largely self-sufficient in produce, placing special emphasis on herbs to heal the sick. Herbs were also used to flavor a vegetarian diet as well as the brewing and distillation of ale, wine and liqueurs such as Benedictine, and the cosmetic Carmelite water which was based on Melissa officinalis. In the 16th century, herb gardens were planted by the universities for the purpose of teaching botany and medicine, subjects that were inextricably linked until separated by advances in science during the 18th century. Physic gardens as they were commonly known were to be found at many universities throughout Europe. Herbs were planted in alphabetical order and as new species were brought back by colonial explorers and botanical knowledge expanded, physic gardens housed a far greater range of plants and became the botanic gardens we know today.

Even though herbs have their roots in centuries gone by they are not a thing of the past. Thanks to the hippies of the 1960's and 1970's herbs have made a serious come back in the last decade. Approximately 80 percent of the worlds population rely on traditional plant based medicine, and 25 percent of prescription drugs contain plant extract. The USA's interest in medicinal herbs has increased by 100 percent since 1995 and similar increases have been seen in other countries across the globe.

A resurgence of interest has meant that consumers are finding herbs in the food industry, dietary supplements, teas, skin and hair-care products and aromatics. Culinary herbs have exploded into every kitchen thanks to the likes of Jamie Oliver and other TV cookery chefs.

The lives of people and herbs are so closely linked that we often forget the power they posses. The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelus (c.1493-1541) wrote that All substances are poisons; there is none which is not poison. The right dose differentiates a poison and a remedy. Plants like Opium Poppy (Papver somniferum) and Coca (Erythroxylum coca) have been the cause of many wars throughout history. Life saving plants like Quinine (Cinchona Species) have prevented and treated malaria since the era of colonial expansion. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) provided the basis for acetylsalicylic acid produced in 1899, and was named aspirin after (Spirea ulmaria) which was the old name for (Filipendula ulmaria). Aspirin is the world's most widely used drug.

People all over the world have picked, uprooted and used herbs since ancient times. Of the 250,000 species of flowering plants in the world, more than 20,000 are recorded as herbs, and in these numbers lies our greatest hope of finding new drugs to combat disease. (ASmit)